Norwalk makes semifinals
 

August 20, 2008 - The home plate umpire calls Norwalk, Conn.'s Kevin Daniele safe to the dismay of Mount Vernon, Wash., pitcher Richard Dutton in Game 17 of the Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series played at Adams Field in Quincy. Photo by Gary Higgins.
 

By GUS SHLIMBAUM
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – Can anyone stop Norwalk’s Kevin Daniele?

After being his team’s hero for two consecutive days, knocking in game-winning runs, the No. 3 hitter for the New England Regional champions continued his tear at the Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series Wednesday, smashing three doubles, one of which scored two runs, to the wall in left-center field.  

The towering drives helped lift his team to a 12-0 victory over Skagit Valley, Wash. Coupled with a 10-5 victory by Nederland, Texas, over Youngstown, Ohio, the Connecticut club finished with a 3-1 record and won the five-team National Division, giving them a day off today  when single-elimination play begins.  They will play at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.     

“I’m just in a groove,” Daniele said. “Fortunately for me it comes at the right time.  I just got a good pitch to hit all four times at the plate, and they happen to fall in the gaps and I had three doubles.”

If that wasn’t enough, Daniele was also superb at the mound Wednesday, tossing four innings of two-hit shutout ball for the win.  He had not pitched since before the state tournament, he said.  Clearly it was not an issue.

“I just wanted to keep it over the plate,” the right-hander said. “I knew if I threw strikes and they hit the ball, my defense would back me up, and that was the story today.”

Norwalk got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning,  scoring four runs.  Danny Diaz hit a two-run double, and Bryan Daniello and Alex Petrides each hit RBI singles in the inning.

The New England champions added two runs in the third and fourth innings, highlighted by a two-run single by James Cooksey in the fourth.

Daniele’s two-run double  set the pace for his team’s four-run fifth inning.

Vince Mata was the player of the game for Skagit Valley (1-3), hitting a double in the bottom of the fourth innning.  The loss eliminated the Pacific Northwest Regional champions from the tournament.

The win was the third straight for Norwalk, after a tough loss to Youngstown, Ohio, in the opening game of the tournament.  They hope to ride this momentum and are confident in their chances the rest of the way.

“I think we have as good a shot as anybody else out there,” Norwalk manager Mark Kohler said.    “We need to play the tight defense like we did today and last night, and we can hit with anybody.”

Gus Shlimbaum may be reached at gshlimbaum@ledger.com.

August 20, 2008 - Mount Vernon, Wash.,. second baseman Adolph Rivas puts the tag on Norfolk, Conn., player James Cooksey in Game 17 of the Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series played at Adams Field in Quincy.  Photo by Gary Higgins.